Power press ironer



Aug- 16 1927' w. J. LEWIS POWER PRESS IRONER Filed Dec. 24, 192.5 2 Sheets-Sheet l ug w. J. LEwls POWER PRESS IRONER Filed DSC. 24. B25 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Irl I 1 l l l IIXIIIlllllllkullml|rxm (lfllll l l I l l l l lI/FIII Il s PHUNIMHMHMIIMIIHUL k H1014 sur PATEN T OFFICE.

WILLIAM J. LEWIS, or sYRAcUsE, NEW Yoan.

POWER PRESS IBONER.

Application led December 24, 1926. Serial No. 156,896.

This invention relates to improvements in press ironer designed for use by laundries, tailors, and the like, and the invention relates particularly to improvements in the pressing device shown and described in m United States Patent No. 1,609,909, dated ecember 7, 1926.

The object of the invention is to provide a power operated pressing machine, which 1s heated as well as actuated by a common medium, as steam. A further object is to provide a novel construction and arrangement of the presser head, whereby, instead of being pivoted for rocking in a vertical plane towards and away from the top of the stationary buck and overhanging the buck at all times, the head is arranged to be moved bodily horizontally relative y to the buck, and the receding or releasing `movement of the head being such as to enable the operator to freel apply, adjust and remove the vclothes rom the buck without interference from the displaced head, the distance the head may be moved away from the buck being suiiciently eat to obviatel all danger of the operator ingI bui'ned by accidental contact with the heated movable pressing member, and the buck being entirely out of range of any shadow the head might cast, in case the machine is located in front of a window. A further object is to provide novel and simple means for first separating the head from the buck by moving it vertically, and then withdrawing the head horizontally towards the release position by a continuous mechanical o eration the return movement of the head ein eiiected in a higher plane than the top o the buck, the lowering of the head to the pressing position and the final pressing of the garments being also eifected y a continuous operation of the actuating members'. And a further object is to generally improve and simplify the construction, arrangement and operation of clothes pressing or ironing machines of the class.

The various features and parts of the invention will be understood from the detailed description which follows, and by reference to the accompanying drawings, in whicli Figure 1 is a front elevation of the machine; showing the presser head in the ironing position. Fig. 2 is an end elevation vol' the same; s ho by full and dotted lines the ironing and re ease positions of the movable parts. Fig. 3 is a top plan view, showing the presser head withdrawn horizontally clear of the buck. And Fig. 4 is a rear side elevation of the machine. In all of the views several well-known parts not essential to the Showing and describing of the novel features of the present invention have been omitted for clearness.

ln the drawings, 2 represents a frame comprising an upright portion 2 having a yoked top 2a and ya forwardly extending horizontal bench 2b. which is usually overlayed by a wooden table, as 2c. 3 represents the .usual buck, which is spaced from the table by a pedestal 3', the buck being heated preferably by steam supplied by pipe 3a, and the exhaust or condensation being carried away from the buck, by a pipe 3b.

4 represents the movable presser head, which may be of any suitable construction or pattern, the head being mounted upon the forward end of a horizontally arranged beam 5, to which it is secured by bolts 5. The

beam 5 is preferably disposed at right angles to the buck and head` and extends rearwardly between the arms of the yoke 2a, by which the beam is supported. The beam 5 ispreferably reciprocatable, and for this purpose, similar longitudinal grooves or ways 5 are formed in its lateral edges, the said ways extending from the head to a point rearwardly of the yoke 2, as best seen in Fig. 2. The beam 5 is supported directly by guide-blocks 6, which are slidable in the wa s 5a, the said blocks being rigidly mounte in the split facing ends of short aligning shaft-sections 7, the latter being journaled in bearings formed in the arms of the yoke 2a. By this arrangement, the'beam 5 may be moved forwardly and backwardly freely upon the said guides, and the beam is also allowed a slight vertical teetering movement relatively to the stationary buck, as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 2.' When the head 4 is moved rearwardly from the buck 3, it is supported mainly by the frame portion 2. The reciprocating and tilting movements ofthe beam and head, as well as the ironing pressure, vare preferabl effected by a; Huid-pressure cylinder 8, t rough the actions of its piston 8', and piston-rod 8 which rocks a lever 9 the said lever extending rearwardlv throug an opening 2d in the frame 2', and being ivoted by a pin 9', to the said frame. To e rear end of lever 9 is pivoted an upright link or leverl 10, whose upper end is slotted, as at 10', to receive and aord play lfor a pin 10",

which passes through the rear end of the beam 5, the said end preferably being slotted longitudinally centrally, as at (see Fig. 3'), to receive the said lever. During the reciprocation of the beam 5, the lever simply plays loosely and idlv in the slot 5b without exerting either pull` or pressure upon the pin 10E. It is only at the extremes of the forward and backward strokes of the beam, that pin 10 engages the ends of the slot l0 (see Fig. 2). ln practice, the slot 10 is preferably so calculated as to enable the levers 9 `and 10 to effect the full ironing pressure of the head against lthe buck before the piston 8 entirely completes its downward stroke. The forward and backward movements of the beam 5 are effected directly and positively by one or more bell-cranks 12, which are pivoted by a pin 12 to similar lugs 13 of a bracket 13, the latter being rigidly7 secured to the rear portion 2', by bolts 13b (see Figs. 2 and 4). The bell-cranks are provided with arms of unequal length, as 12a-12b, which connect respectively with the lever 9 and to the opposite edges of beam 5. The arms 12a extend rearwardly and are formed with slots 12C.

\ '1`hese arms are pivoted by a pin 12d to the upper ends of links 14, whose lower ends are pivoted to the lever 9, by a pin 9 (see Fig. 2), the said connection being located between the frame and the rear end of said lever, and at a point that insures properly measured strokes of the beam.v The upper ends of arms 12b of the bell-cranks are formed with relatively long slots 12, which receive and afford the requisite play for a pin 5c, that passes through a reduced portion 5d of the beam 5. The arms 12b are preferably resiliently connected to the beam, by a spring 15 (see Fig. 2), the said spring preferably being of sufficient strength to normally lift and hold the head 4 a short distance above the buck, whenever the ironing pressure exerted by the lever 10 is relaxed. By this arrangement, at the rst slight pull of leverv 9 and the links 14 upon the short arms 12a, which action simultaneously breaks the pressing contact of lever 10 with the in 10, the spring 15 instantly lifts the ead 4 clear of the buck (see dotted lines at left in Fig. 2), and enables the bell-cranks to move the head rearwardly without disturbing the articles that have just been ironed. This sprin thereafter continues to exert its tension or tilting the beam, but the tilting is limited substantially to the initial lift of the head, by the resistance of the guides 6, as the beam moves towards the yoke 2*, so that the head, at the end of the release stroke, is positioned relatively to the buck, substantialy as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 2. The length of the slots 10 and 12 are usually so calculated as to enable the levers 10 and 12 to maintain substantially. the same elevation of the head above the top plane l of the buck at the extreme rearward movement of the beam, as that effected initially by the sprinof 15, as explained. This latter action is facilitated by the slight rotation of the shaft-sections 7 in the bearings 2B. By these latter provisions the full forward Vor^ return stroke of the beam and the head is effected substantially at the inclination, as shown in Fig. 2, the spring 15 again exertlng its tension for holding the head clear of the buck until the final upward thrust of the lever 10 overcomes the said tension and effects the ironing pressure. By this peculiar arrangement the head returns to the ironing position without disturbing the fresh articles that may be spread upon the buck. The head 4f is preferably heated by steam, by means of Va swlvel-joint pipe 16, which receives the steam from a cross 17, the said pipe thence passes through the yoke 2a, and taps the head at 16. The exhaust steam escapes from the head through a similar pipe 18, which Vdischarges the waste fluid into a T 18', from which it may be returned to a boiler or other destination, by a pipe 18". The exhaust carried from the buck by pipe 3b'may also be discharged into the T 18'- (see Flgs. 2 and 4). The performance of the jointed portions of ipes 16 and 18 may be understood by consu ting Figs. 2 and 4Q The steam may be supplied to thecross 17 by a pipe 17 The steam for o erating the iston 8 flows from the cross 1 via a con uctor 19', to a cock 19, which is operated by a lever 19, for alternately charging the top and bottom ends of the cylinder 8, in a Well known manner. The exhaust from cylinder 8 may be effected by any suitable means not shown The cock 19 is usually operate by a han -lever, as 20, which is ivoted at 20 to the frame, and connects wit the lever 19 by a link 20a. The lever 20 preferably traverses a slot 20b formed in the bench 2b and the table 2, as shown in Fig. 1.

By arranging the head to be moved horizontally away from the buck as herein shownl and described, no part of the head overhangs the buck, and when: the machine is located in front of a window, the full day-light is thrown upon the buck, instead of the latter being more or less obscured by the shadow of the head, as heretofore. By moving the highly heated head horizontally away from the buck instead of tilting and positioningl the head at various angles relatively to t e to of the buck, as heretofore, the operators ead is less affected by the heat radiated by the presser head, which is very desirable.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, is

1. A power ress ironer including a frame, a movab e head and a stationary buck carried by the frame, a beam for supporting the head, guiding means carried by the frame and movably supporting said beam, operating means, a bell-crank operated by said operating means, means connecting the bell crank with the beam for effecting longitudinal movements of the beam in a horizontal plane, and means connected to the operating means and to the beam for effecting the ironing pressure when the head is moved into registery with the buck.

2. A press ironer including a movable head and a stationary buck, a stearn cyl inder for operating one of said parts, a

'y valve for controlling the steam, a support for the head, guides slidably engaging said support, means to pivotally mount said guides, means to move said sup ort and said head towardk and awa from t e buck in a horizontal plane, an tenslon means for i separating the head from the buck in advance of the release stroke of said support.

3. In an ironer, a head, a buck, means to mount the head for tilting movement and for movement toward and away yfrom the buck in a horizontal plane, pressure applying means connected to the head tohold the4 head in ironing position, means connected to the head to move the same in said horizontal plane, and means independent of said means to move the head in a horizontal plane connected to thehead for tilting the latter from oil' the buck upon release of the pressure applying means and prior to said movement of the head in a horizontal plane.

4. In an ironer, a buck, a head, means to beam for sliding and pivotal movement, pressure applying means connected to the head to hold the latter in ironing position, operating means for the head pivotally and slidably connected to, the beam to slide the latter, and means under tension coupled to the beam and to said operating means for tilting the head olf of the buck upon release of the pressure applying means and rior to said operating means sliding the eadlaterally away from the buck.

6. In an ironer, a buck, a head,'means to mount the head for sliding and pivotal movements, pressure applying means to hold the head in ironing osition, means connected to the head for shding the latter y .from olf the buck, means connected to the, head and to the sliding means for tilting the head from off the buck prior to sliding of the head, and means to actuate the sliding means.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

WILLIAM J. LEWIS. 

